Today has seen the release of the first new development diary, and in total there will be seven of them. The diary can be found here.

The biggest new information is that the different Pagan religions will have different gameplay mechanics, allaying some fears that they will all be thrown in with the same system.

Playing a pagan chieftain is at least as different as playing a Muslim. Not only that, there are significant differences between the various heathen religions. Some are aggressive in nature, like the Norse and Tengri beliefs, and some are more defensive, like the Finno-Ugric faith. For example, the warlike Norse will suffer a prestige loss for being at peace for too long, and will need to wage war or set sail to pillage and loot. The Finns don't have this problem, but on the other hand, their vassals will dislike having their troops raised (like Christians). Some faiths get defensive bonuses and larger garrisons in their homelands, some don't, etc. However, they can all potentially be reformed to withstand the allure of the new religions.​

The most interesting mechanic for me is the reformation of religions and I'd love to hear more about that.

Furthermore it has been confirmed that some rivers will be traversable by ship. It'll be interesting to see if the AI uses it.

Crusader Kings II: Old Gods Teaser Trailer​

Should I update this news post weekly? Does your purchase depend on information released in these development diaries? Please post your thoughts on our forum.